title: Studies on the toxicity of an aqueous suspension of C60 nanoparticles using a bacterium (gen. Bacillus) and an aquatic plant (Lemna gibba) as in vitro model systems.
abstract: The increasing use of C60 nanoparticles and the diversity of their applications in industry and medicine has led to their production in a large scale. C60 release into wastewaters and the possible accumulation in the environment has raised concerns about their ecotoxicological impact. In the present study, an aqueous suspension of C60 nanoparticles was prepared and its potential toxicity studied in laboratory, using a bacterium (Bacillus stearothermophilus) and an aquatic plant (Lemna gibba) as model systems. C60 nanoparticles inhibited the growth of L. gibba, in contrast to that of the bacterium. Consistently, the ultrastructure and respiratory activity of bacterial cells were not affected by C60, but the contents of chlorophylls a and b and chloroplast oxygen production decreased considerably in L. gibba. Altogether, our results suggest that C60 aqueous dispersions must be viewed as an environmental pollutant, potentially endangering the equilibrium of aquatic ecosystems.
authors.affiliation: CNC - Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sandra M A
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Augusto M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Dinis
authors.forename: David M F
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peixoto
authors.forename: Romeu A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Videira
authors.forename: Amália S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Jurado
mesh_terms: D029064:Araceae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D001407:Bacillus / Q000187:drug effects*; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D037741:Fullerenes / Q000633:toxicity*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D037741:Fullerenes; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002734:Chlorophyll; C069837:fullerene C60
keywords: Bacterial growth; Bacterial respiration; Chlorophylls; Chloroplast oxygen production; Fullerene